Counselling-Tools

16 Responses to “Creative Counselling Ideas”

1. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Mia says:

   I have read your message on a forum and thought I share a few ideas

   Play Dough
   Different shaped and coloured pebbles
   Toys/sandtray
   Children books
   Blankets
   Finger paint
   Playmobile
   I would put these things somewhere where clients can easily reach them without having to ask the counsellor to get it down or bring it in for them.

   Its a really nice idea you have, great website, good luck with it.

   Reply
2. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Pete says:

   I find Animal cards really useful. When a client chooses a card and tells me how they identify with a certain animal – it opens up a discussion of their sense of who they are in the world and their issues of empowerment and disempowerment.

   Reply
3. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Jenny from the Hope at Sunrise Counselling Forum says:

   One day I remember talking about something that was really weighing me down and my counsellor produced this box of what I can only describe as fancy dress items. She then asked me to put as many items on as I possibly could.. i put on loads (felt a little stupid but hey ho).. then she asked me to throw them off me. It may sound a little strange as you weren’t there, but it had a deep effect on me as I could feel the weight being lifted from my shoulders and whole body.

   Reply
4. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:22 pm

   Keith says:

   Some of my work is in schools so I use a lot of creativity, toys, animals, sand tray, art etc.

   I also use this with some of my clients. An exercise I have found powerful is getting a client to draw a tree with roots. After it is drawn they write on the roots first, then the trunk, then the branches/leaves.

   On the roots they write what makes them grounded (i.e. language, nationality etc)
   On the trunk they write about identity (i.e. family, music, work, hobbies etc)

   On the branches/leaves they write about what they want, dream of, desire. its does not have to be a logical want or desire. The idea is that it can be very empowering for some clients to write down these thoughts.

   kind regards
   Keith

   Reply
5. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Marléne says

   I love working with Russian Dolls to help clients consider the different parts of themselves and how much time and effort they give to each part. For themselves, its often the tiniest doll of all!

   One useful method is to ask your client to fill out labels to go next to each doll, eg angry, useless, clever etc. After a few sessions do the task again. Its very helpful for clients to note how the more positive parts of themselves have become bigger whilst the bits they don’t like have become smaller.

   Reply
6. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:21 pm

   Max says:

   Hi Marlene, like your site. I work in a rehabilitation centre in the West Country by the sea. Sometimes we ask our clients to go to a nearby beach for a walk and there pick up any object that is significant for them. Then they all come back to the group room and share their meaning. It’s always a powerful group!

   Reply
7. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:22 pm

   Marléne says

   I recently had a session with a client who had been carrying some painful isses with her for quite some time. After several weeks she felt ready to let them go.

   We got an old curtain which she spread out on the floor. Then one by one she threw in beads stating out loud what piece of pain each one represented. When she was finished she pulled all the corners of the curtain together and wrapped it up. She walked over and placed it on the other side of the room.

   it was a very powerful session.

   Reply
8. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:22 pm

   Susan says

   Homework. Have client read, do exercises, write about their life, etc… This keeps them engaged with healing outside the counselling room and helps them to see that therapy is work 24/7 not just 50 mins. a week.

   Reply
9. admin says:

   September 2, 2011 at 12:22 pm

   Libby says

   I use scarves with clients to explore their different emotions or parts of themselves, choosing different textures or colours or patterns for each emotion etc.

   Reply
10. admin says:

    September 2, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    Katie says

    I too use various tools with my clients, I work with a variety of clients some with substance misuse for which I find CBT can be useful. For other issues I work mainly to the person centered model.

    But whatever model I am using tools can add to the whole experience for clients particularly when client may be experiencing ‘stuckness’. For me I have a box of different materials, textures and colours, sizes and shapes.

    Charity shops are great for these. Clients can just rifle through and they use them to ‘tell a story’ or how they are feeling, how they would like to feel, basicially just them them go with whatever comes up for them. This as well as working with stones/pebbles I have found tremedously releasing for clients particularly with bereavment or loss issues.

    Love this site, just found it and will be a regular visitor now.

    Thanks everyone.

    Reply
11. admin says:

    September 2, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Phil says

    In an attempt to uncover unconscious needs of a client I will use The Gift exercise, whereby a client is guided through a visualisation of the delivery of a package which is a gift.
    They go through the process of receiving the package, noticing the sensations of receiving it, ancticpating what it might be (size, weight, texture, noise, smells), then unwrapping it.
    I encourage my clients to engage with the 1st image that they see when they picture The Gift.

    When they have a gift in mind, I ask them to open their eyes and then I ask them to draw the gift. As they draw I sit alongside watching how they work. When they have finished I walk through the imagery, attempting to be ‘dumb’, taking nothing for granted, being curious about the colours used, the shapes, the texture of the imagery, the objects drawn, the context of the image, where on the page the image is drawn, etc. etc. I might ask what it was like to receive the gift, what sensations did you encounter? Who sent it?

    This exercise can have surprising results and I’ve always found it to be a useful technique to reach past cognitive defences.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says:

      September 7, 2011 at 12:12 am

      Hi Phil, this sounds great, I use a similar ‘story’ where the client talks through approaching a house/cottage etc describing all their senses, where they walk into a room, finding a casket, describing what they find when they open it. It is a useful metaphor for both hopes and fears, very powerful.

      Reply
12. admin says:

    September 2, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Kate says

    My creative tool suggestion is one my supervisor discussed with me. He called it “relational mapping”.

    The client draws themselves as a dot or a circle in the middle of the page, and then proceeds to add the others who are part of their lives at present and where they might “sit” in relation to them. Then draw a circle around your immediate self and life including those relationships that are close to you at present.

    Then define how helpful each person is – if not helpful, draw an arrow drawing them out of the circle.

    For each dot or circle that represents an individual, write an adjective to describe them; ie. if you put your dog in there, write loyal, unconditional love. For an ex husband (perhaps), you could write angry, hurt… etc.

    I hope you get the “picture”

    Reply
13. admin says:

    October 9, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    Thanks to everyone who has been leaving such lovely comments on the Inspirations pages. I hope you all enjoy the videos. if you come across any that you would like to share please let me know.

    With love and Care
    Marléne

    Reply
14. Al says:

    October 15, 2011 at 11:13 am

    LETTING GO
    We carry a lot of stuff around with us long after it has any real value or purpose. This can cause tensions and stress within us and between those close to us. This exercise aims to heighten awareness of the tension we cause ourselves and of the relief in letting go.

    As the client is talking note the various ‘pieces of baggage’ onto separate slips of paper, one for each item. For example, anger at partner having left them some time ago, resentment at their new relationship, jealousy of his new partner, etc.
    Ask the client to hold out a hand and place the various slips of paper between the fingers. Then ask the client to clench their fist and to hold the fist in this clenched position, put arm in a stretched out position, like someone saluting. Instruct the client he/she has to keep the fist as tight as possible and the arm in that position.
    Now continue on with the session, moving on to some other aspect. From time to time check back in with the client that the fist is still tightly clenched and the arm has not lowered.
    As late as possible in the session refer back to the clenched fist and ask client how he/she is feeling. The usual reply is ‘tense’ or ‘tired of keeping fist like this’ . You then ask the client to unclench the fist. At this point the pieces of paper may float free or they may remain, but the release of tension will be much felt .You then bring in the idea of letting go of holding all these things and a) the relief that brings and b) the ability to move freely when that has been done. (If any papers stick, then you might choose to remark: you have not forgotten the hurt feelings but you have let go of holding them tightly still.)
    You can adapt this exercise as a metaphor for not being able to allow other opportunities into one’s life while holding these negative feelings. In this adaptation have the client put the slips of paper in both hands, again keeping fists clenched. However, rather than releasing the tension you steer the dialogue around to the idea of moving forward, being able to grasp new opportunities or open up new pathways. You stand up, get the client to stand (still with clenched fists) and instruct him/her to open the door of the room (“the door into the future”). Of course, the client cannot easily do that with clenched fists; only by unclenching, letting go can he/she do so.

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15. admin says:

    October 18, 2011 at 8:13 am

    Thank you Al, thats fantastic. I have never heard of this idea before. I will definitely keep it in mind for client work.

    Reply